Repeater fuse switch



Jan. 5,, 1943.

c. A. FOX 2,307,208

REPEATER FUSE SWITCH Fi led Oct. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .6 27 f2 52 43a 49 a5 54 Z5 36 36 54 23 53 1 0 4 Q I 70 o l I 11 1 7 70am Z6 7; 57 37b o W 27 (D Q 56 17 2 74 0 I 3' (a 79 16 //Yl/N7'O E/ closed in UnitedStates Letters being put in .the switch illustrated in Patented Jan. 5,1943 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE REPEATER FUSE Charles -A din Fox, St.Louis, Mo., assignor to James B. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application October 4, 1940, Serial No. 359,654

4Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrical fuse switches of therepeater type and more specifically to a repeater switch of the typedis- Patent No. 2,209,- 396, issued on July 30, 1940, the predominantobject of the present invention being to provide a repeater switch ofthe type disclosed in the United States patent identified above, whichin addition to being provided with means for slowing the operation ofthe switch as the effective path of the electrical current istransferred from one set of parts of the switch to another set of partsthereof, includes means for regulating the speed of operation of theswitch during the electrical path transfer operation so as to insuresuch proper speed of operation of the switch that at all voltagesproperly timed path transfer operations of the switch will be obtained.

The repeater switch disclosed in the United States Letters Patentidentified above includes means for slowing the current path transferoperation of the switch whose operation is fixed,

regardless of voltage, insofar as the time required for completion ofthe path transfer operation is (xmcerned. However it is consideredadvisable under certain circumstancesto vary the time required tocomplete the current path' transfer operation of the switch, inasmuch asmore time should be provided for completion of such transfor when theswitch is associated with lines carrying'higher voltages than when theswitch is associated with lines carrying lower voltages.

[The prime purpose of the therefore, is to include in the improvedswitch structure, means adapted on adjustment thereof to accelerate orretard the speed of the current path transfer operation of the switchrelative to the basic speed service so that the current path transferoperations of the switcheswill be accomplished in time periods whichwill provide for the most efficient operation of the switches at theparticular voltages with which they are to be employed. I

Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved repeater switch disclosedherein.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on

Fig. l, a portion of the switch being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionalelevation of the slowingmeans of the switch showing the speed regulating means associatedtherewith. I

present invention,-

taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the structureillustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsection taken on line 8-6 of Fig. 8.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for .the purpose of illustration,merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improvedswitch generally. The improved switch includes a suitable' insulator Bto which is attached a bracket C that serves as a means for securing theswitch a to a cross arm or other support.

Secured to the insulator-B at the upper end thereof is the upperterminal I of the switch, said upper terminal including a sectional capportion In which embraces and engages the top portion of the insulatorB, and a rigid arm lb from said sectional cap portion la. The arm lb ofthe upper terminal has associated therewith a suitable connector 2 forelectrically connecting an electrical conductor We to the upper terminalwhich is a part of the circuit with which the switch A is associated foruse. The sectional cap is provided with opposed ears 3 which areprovided with apertures through which the end portions of an arcuate rod4 extend, said rod being arranged in embracing relation with respect tothe upper portion of the insulator B and having nuts I mounted on itsscrewthreaded outer ends which serve to draw the arcuate rod and thesectional cap portion is of the upper terminal into rigid clampingrelation with respect to the insulator.

Associated with the upper terminal I is a pair of upper contacts 5 and 8which preferably,

- though not necessarily, are formed of heavy wire,

a reduced scale, of

each of said upper contacts including an upwardly extended loop portion1 at its inner end which contacts with a face of the upper terminal, andbolts 8, the shanks of which extend through spreading of said convergentportions. Also at the extreme outer end of each of the upper contacts 5and 6 rearward portions an outwardly projected extension of saidrearwardly bent ,portions are flared outwardly. As will be presentlymade plain herein the rearwardly bent forward portions ID of the uppercontacts provide gripping portions which receive portions of the fuselinks associated with the switch, and the outwardly flared portionsserve to guide said portions of the fuse link into said grippingportions. In order to prevent the rearwardly bent portions ll of theupper contacts from moving outwardly to an unnecessary degree andthereby destroying the gripping action of the fuse link grippingportions of said upper contacts, caps III are frictionally applied tothe extreme outer end portions of said upper contacts in embracingrelation with respect to the outer end portions of said rearwardly bentportions.

The improved switch A includes a pair of lower contacts, one thereof,which is designated by the reference character II, being attached to theinsulator B at a point adjacent to the lower end thereof, and the otherlower contact, which is designated by the reference character l2, beingattached to the insulator at a point 'a slight distance above the pointof attachment of said lower contact I I. The means for attaching thelower contact I2 to the insulator B includes a member I3 having aportion provided with an arcuate face which is arranged in contact withthe curved face of the insulator. The member I3 is secured to theinsulator by a curved rod I4 which embraces the insulator in one of theannular depressions thereof, the opposite end portions of said curvedrod being extended through openings formed through portions of themember I3 and said opposite end portions of said rod being screwthreadedadjacent to their ends to receive nuts I5 which may be drawn up to causethe curved rod and the member I3 to tightly engage the insulator. Themember I3 constitutes the lower terminal of the switch, being providedwith I6 which has associated therewith a suitable connector I1 ventexcessive outward movement of the rearthrough the instrumentality ofwhich an electrical conductor Wb may to said extension.

The contact |2 preferably is formed from single length of heavy wire andit includes a horizontal loop I8 at its inner end, said contact I2 beingsecured to the member I3 by a bolt whose shank extends through the loopI8 of the contact and into an opening formed in said member I3. From theloop I8 portions of the contact I2 extend forwardly and continuations ofthese portions are bent helically to provide the contact with opposedspring portions 29 which give to the contact the required resiliency.

Leading from the helical spring portions of the lower contact I2 is apair of parallel contact portions 2| which terminate in convergentportions 22, From the forward ends of the convergent portions 22parallel and relatively. closely positioned contact portions 23 areextended forwardly and at the forward end of the contact.

these portions 23 are bent rearwardly upon them selves as indicated at24 to provide gripping portions, similar to the gripping portions of theupper contacts, which are adapted to engage portions of fuse links aswilLpresently appear herein. Extended from the rearwardly bent portions24 are outwardly flared portions 25 which serve to guide fuse links intothe gripping portions. In order to prevent undue spreading of thecontact portions 23 sleeves 29 are provided which embrace said portions,and in like manner to prebe electrically connected 5 cap wardly bentportions 24 a cap 21 is applied to the outer end portion of the contactI2 in embracing relation with respect thereto.

The means for attaching the lower contact II to the insulator Bcomprises a member 28 which is provided with a face that contacts withthe outer face of the lower portion of the insulator B (Fig. 4), saidmember being secured to the insulator by a bolt 29 the shank of whichextends through an opening formed through said member and through anaperture formed through the wallof the hollow insulator B.

The lower contact II is constructed and arranged just as is the lowercontact I2 which has already been described in detail herein; that is tosay said lower contact includes a loop 39 at its inner end, opposedhelically wound spring portions 3|, spaced apart portions 32 whichextend forwardly from the lower portions of the spring portions,convergent portions 33, adjacently positioned, forwardly extendedportions 34, and rearwardly bent portions 35 at the outer end of thecontact which provide gripping portions having flared guides 36associated therewith. Likewise the contact I I has a sleeve 31associated with the portions 34 thereof and a cap 38 applied to theouter end of the contact, the sleeve and cap being intended to preventundue spreading of parts of the contact. The contact II is sccured tothe insulator by the bolt 29 heretofore referred to, the shank of saidbolt passing through the upstanding loop 38 of the contact.

The member 28 that supports the lower contact includes an extensionwhich supports a transfer contact 39. This transfer contact is madepreferably from a single length of heavy wire possessed of resiliencyand it includes an upstanding loop 39' from the lower end of whichforwardly extended portions 40 are projected. At the forward ends of theportions 40 of the transfer contact 39 the length of wire from which thetransfer contact is formed is bent upwardly as shown at 4| in Fig. 4.The length of wire is then bent downwardly in parallelism with theportions 4| as shown at 42, and the remaining portions of the length ofwire are bent upwardly in spaced relation with respect to the portions42 asindicated at 43, the upper end portions of said portions 43 beingflared outwardly to provide inclined guides 44. The transfer contact isprovided with a sleeve 45 which prevents undue spreading of the portions40 thereof, and said transfer contact is secured to the member by a bolt46 in the same general manner that the lower contacts I I and I2 aresecured to the members 28 and I3.

In its fully fused condition the improved switch includes a pair of fuselinks 41 and 48 of like construction and arrangement. Each of these fuselinks comprises a pair of flexible cables 49 which are spaced apart attheir inner ends to. provide a gap, and a fusible element (not shown).which is'electrically connected to the inner end rtions of said cablesis disposed in said gap. The fusible element and the adjacent innerportions of the flexible cables 49 of each fuse link are enclosed withina tube 58 which preferably is formed of ,horn flber or other materialthat is characterized by the ability to give off a gas in the presenceof the heat of an electric are which tends 'to extinguish said electricarc. The tube 50 of each fuse link is interposed between and issupported by a collar 5| and a coil spring 52 that are supported by thecables 49. At the outer ends .are drawn into of the cables ll of eachfuse link loops '3 are formed and fixed to the flexible conductors inclose proximity to the loops are stop buttons l4.

Whentheimprovedswitchisfullyfusedthe lower flexible cable of the fuselink ll is drawn into one of the srippi s P rtions at the outer endportion of the lower contact H, while the lower flexible cable the fuselink 41 is drawn into one of the gri portions Portion of the l w roontact II. Also fully fused position of the improved upper flexiblecables of the fuse links switch the 41 and I drawn into asrippingportion of the upper contact I.

In assembling the fuse links 41 and 48 in place with the switch saidfuse links said finger. He then raisesthe suspended fuse link and pullstion of the lower flexible cable immediately above the button N deepinto the gripping portion of the lower contact with which the fuse linkis assembled. The operator then raises the fuse link to the properelevation and then pulls the upper portion of said fuse link outwardlyso as to draw a portion of the upper flexible cable deep in one of thegripping propriate upper contact. When th operator raises the fuse linkwith its lower end attached to a lower contact he winds the helicalspring porportions of the ap- When the first fuse switch as describedlink is assembled with the switch whereupon the switch is ready for linkhas been applied to the the second fuse in like manner fuse link 41 tothe lowercontact l2, and from said lower contact through the lowerterminal I! to the conductor connected thereto. It is to be noted thatwhen the switch is fully fused no current passes through the fuse link'48 due to the fact that the lower contact II is out of electrical inthe circuit, the fusible element of the fuse link 1 will part andthereby release the tensioned lower contact I! which will movedownwardly in response to action of the helical spring portions 2|. Thiswill quickly separate the severed ends of the ruptured fusible elementso as to quickly extinguish the electric arc produced by severance Whenthe outer at the outer end:

during the through the fuse link 48 to the lower contact ll.

From

it outwardly so as to draw the porthe lower contact the current passesthrough member 28 with which the lower contact H is associated to thetransfer contact 39 and from said transfer contact to and through thelower contact II, which at this time contacts with the transfer contact3!, to-the lower terminal I! and the conductor connected thereto.

member II which serves as the lower terrotatably supported by the sidewalls of the casing II, and said pinion is provided with a hub or sleeveportion ii on which a gear wheel '2 is fixedly mounted. The gear wheel82 in turn meshes with a pinion 63 which is loosely mounted on the shaft81 for rotary movement with respect thereto, and this pinion is providedwith a hub or sleeve portion 04 on which a gear wheel of rotation of theshaft 51.

Fixed to the shaft 51 adjacent to the opposite ends thereof are thebifurcated arm 10, said spaced portions 'lla of its opposite side edgesis provided H that partially 2! of the lower with upwardly curvedportions embrace the opposed portions spaced portions 10a of a,

' before the member are provided with contact |2, said opposed, curvedportions having extended upwardly therefrom flanges 15 through each ofwhich a row of apertures II is formed. At the forward and rear edges ofthe flat sheet of material 13 extensions 11 are formed which. 12 isapplied to the portions 2| of the lower contact l2, are alined with theflat sheet of material 13, these extensions when the member 12 is beingapplied to said portions 2| of the lower contact |2 being bent upwardlyso that the curved edges at the opposite ends of the extensionsfrictionally engage the inner portions of the faces of said portions 2|of the lower contact l2, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus, because the opposedcurved portions of the member 12 frictionally engage the outer portionsof the faces of the portions 2| of the lower contact l2, and the curvededges of the extensions 11 of said member 12 frictionally engage theinner portions of said portions 2| of. said lower contact |2, the member12 is securely clamped in a fixed position to said portions 2| of saidlower contact l2.

Associated with the bifurcated arm I and the member I2 is a connectinglink I! which is substantially of inverted U-shaped formation, saidconnecting link including a bridge portion 18a which is extended throughone of the apertures 1| formed through the portion b of the bifurcatedarm 10, and spaced, side portions 18b which extend downwardly from saidbridge portion and inwardly projected portions 180 at their lower endswhich are extended through apertures 16 formed in the flanges of themember 12. The spaced, side portions of the connecting link 18 havemounted thereon an elongated plate 19 which at one of its ends isprovided with an enclosed aperture 80 formed therethrough through whichone of the side portions 18b of the connecting link extends. Adjacent toits opposite end the elongated plate 19 has formed therein an elongatedaperture ll into which a slot 82 leads which is open at an edge of theelongated plate 19, the opposite side portion of the connecting link 18being extended through said elongated aperture 8| as shown in Fig. 5.The elongated plate 18 serves, when in its eflec tive position relativeto the connecting link 18, to prevent the side portions 18b of saidconnecting link from moving outwardly and thus permitting the inwardlyprojected portions 18c to become disengaged from the apertures 18 of theflanges I5 of the member 12. However when it is desired to detach theconnecting link from the member 12 the side portion 18b of theconnecting link which passes through the elongated opening 8| maybemoved inwardly slightly until said portion is alined with the narrowerslot 82, whereupon the elongated plate may be swung about the oppositeside portion 18b of the connecting link to disengage the end of theelongated plate in which the elongated opening 8| is formed from thecorresponding side portion of the connecting link and permit detachmentof the connecting link from the flanges I5 of the member 12.

When in the operation of the improved switch disclosed herein the fuselink 41 is ruptured, the outwardly extended portion of the lower contactI2 is freed from restraint and as a result of the tension stored up inthe spiral spring portions 20 said extended portion of said contactimmediately starts to move downwardly toward the transfer contact 39.However, because the additional burden of rotating the flywheel 68 andthe speed reducing gearing associated therewith is applied to thedownwardly moving contact l2 its speed of formed therein,

movement is reduced to. a substantial degree with the result thatsufficient time is available under any and all conditions to interruptthe passage of current through the path of which the ruptured fuse linkforms a part before the new path of current is established. Also becauseenergy is stored up in the rapidly rotating fly wheel as the con tact |2moves toward the transfer contact 39 this energy, which is in the formof centrifugal force, drives the contact portions 23 of the contact l2deep into tight contact with portions of the transfer contact to makegood electrical contact be tween these parts.

The important feature of this invention is that, because of theplurality of apertures 1| formed in the bifurcated arm 10 and theplurality of apertures 16 formed in the flanges I5 of the member 12, thespeed of movement of the lower contact l2 may be accelerated or retardedto provide for the proper timing of the current path transfer operationof the switch when the switch is employed with lines carrying current.This is accomplished by merely shifting the connecting linklongitudinally of the portion 10b of the bifurcated arm 10 and of themember 12 to apertures thereof which will provide the leverage to givethe desired speed of movement of the lower contact |2 as it movesdownwardly toward the transfer contact 39.

I claim:

1. A repeater fuse switch comprising a support, a. terminal supported bysaid support, contact means supported by said support in electricalcontact with said terminal, a pair of contacts supported by said supportin spaced relation with respect to said contact means and havingportions which tend to move in a direction away contact means, a secondterminal supported by said support in electrical contact with one ofsaid pair of contacts, a pair of fuse links electrically connected tosaid pair of contacts and to said contact means and held under tensionby the tendency of the movable portions of said pair of contacts to movein a direction away from said contact means, a transfer contact intoelectrical contact with which one of said pair of contacts moves whenthe fuse link of said one of said contacts is ruptured, means forretarding the speed of movement of said one of said pair of contacts asit moves toward said transfer contact, said speed retarding meansincluding an arm arranged for arcuate movement and having a plurality ofapertures formed therein, a member flxed to said one of said pair ofcontacts and having spaced portions having each a plurality of aperturesand an element of inverted U- shaped formation connected to said arm ofsaid speed retarding'means and to said member of said one of said pairof contacts, portions of said element being disposed in apertures ofsaid arm and of said spaced portions of said member and said portions ofsaid element being adjustable to different apertures of said arm andsaid spaced portions of said member to vary the speed of movement ofsaid one of said contacts from the speed of movement thereof establishedby said speed retarding means.

2. A repeater fuse switch comprising a support, a terminal supported bysaid support, contact means supported by said support in electricalcontact with said terminal, a pair of contacts supported by said supportin s aced relation with respect to said contact means and havingportions which tend to move in a direction away from said contact means,a second terminal supported by from said said support in electricalcontact with one of said pair of contacts, a pair of fuse linkselectrically connected to said pair of contacts and to said contactmeans and held under tension by the tendency of the movable portions ofsaid pair of contacts to move in a direction away from said contactmeans, a transfer contact into electrical contact with which one of saidpair of contacts moves when the fuse link of said one of said contactsis ruptured, means for retarding the speed of movement of said one ofsaid pair of contacts as it moves toward said transfer contact, saidspeed retarding means including an arm arranged for arcuate movement andhaving a plurality of apertures formed therein, a member fixed to saidone of said pair of contacts and having spaced portions having each aplurality of apertures formed therein, an element of inverted U-shapedformation connected to said arm of said speed retarding means and tosaid member of said one of said pair of contacts, portions of saidelement being disposed in apertures of said arm and of said spacedportions of said member and said portions of said element beingadjustable to different apertures of said arm and said spaced portionsof said member to vary the speed of movement of said one of saidcontacts from the speed of movement thereof established by said speedretarding means, and means for preventing the portions of said elementwhich are disposed in apertures of said spaced portions of said memberof said one of said pair of contacts from being unintentionallydisplaced from said apertures.

3. A repeater fuse switch comprising a support, a terminal supported bysaid support, contact means supported by said support in electricalcontact with said terminal, a pair of contacts supported by said supportin spaced relation with respect to said contact means and havingportions which tend to move in a direction away from said contact means,a second terminal supported by said support in electrical contact withone of said pair of contacts, a pair of fuse links electricallyconnected to said pair of contacts and to said contact means and heldunder tension by the tendency of the movable portions of said pair ofcontacts to move in a direction away from said contact means, a transfercontact into electrical contact with which one of said pair of contactsmoves when the fuse link of said one of said contacts is ruptured, meansfor retarding the speed of movement of said one of said pair of contactsas it moves toward said transfer contact, said speed retarding meansincluding an arm arranged for arcuate movement and having a plurality ofi apertures formed therein, a member fixed to said one of said pair ofcontacts and having spaced portions having each a plurality of aperturesformed therein,.an element of inverted U-shaped formation connected tosaid arm of said speed retarding means and to said member of said one 5.of said pair of contacts, portions of said element being disposed inapertures of said am and 'of said spaced portions of said member andsaid portions of said element being adjustable to different apertures ofsaid arm and said spaced portions of said member to vary the speed ofmovement of said one of said contacts from the speed of movement thereofestablished by said speed retarding means, and means for preventing theportions of said element which are disposed in apertures of said spacedportions of said member of said one of said pair of contacts from beingunintentionally displaced from said apertures, said means comprising anelongated part which engages opposed leg portions of said element.

4. A repeater fuse switch comprising a support, a terminal supported bysaid support, contact means supported by said support in electricalcontact with said terminal, a pair of contacts supported by said supportin spaced relation with respect to said contact means and havingportions which tend to move in a direction away from said contact means,a second terminal supported by said support in electrical contact withone of said pair of contacts, a pair of fuse links electricallyconnected to said pair of contacts and to said contact means and heldunder tension by the tendency of the movable portions of said pair ofcontacts to move in a direction away from said contact means, a transfercontact into electricalcontact with which one of said pair of contactsmoves when the fuse link of said one of said contacts is ruptured, meansfor retarding the speed of movement of said one of said pair of contactsas it moves toward said transfer contact, said speed retarding meansincluding an arm arranged for arcuate movement and having a plurality ofapertures formed therein, a member fixed to said one of said pair ofcontacts and having spaced portions having each a plurality of aperturesformed therein, an element of inverted U-shaped formation connected tosaid arm of said speed retarding means and to said member of said one ofsaid pair of contacts, portions of said element being disposed inapertures of said arm and of said spaced portions of said member andsaid portions of said element being adjustable to different apertures ofsaid arm and said spaced portions of said member to vary the speed ofmovement of said one of said contacts from the speed of movement thereofestablished by said speed retarding means, and means for preventing theportions of said element which are disposed in apertures of said spacedportions of said member of said one of said pair of contacts from beingunintentionally displaced from said apertures, said means comprising anelongated part which engages opposed leg portions of said element, insuch manner that it may be designedly detached from one of said element.

CHARLES ADIN FOX.

leg portions of said

